Juniper Valley Park
Description: Juniper Valley Park in Middle Village, Queens is rich in natural, historical, and recreational resources. The park takes its name from the Juniper Valley Swamp, which covered an area of about 100 acres from Caldwell Avenue south to Juniper Valley Road. The swamp and surrounding area were blanketed by a thick forest of Juniper and White Cedar trees. Before the site of Juniper Valley Park was improved for recreational purposes, it was used variously as a farm, a cemetery, a source for peat moss, the property of a racketeer, and a garbage dump.
http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/juniper-valley-park/history
